Sunburst
by Across the Stars
Summary: Katie is new to La Push, and she has a job to do. When a romance develops with Jacob Black, will she be able to concentrate on her work and keep herself safe at the same time? R
1. The Project

**Title: Sunburst**

**Author: Across the Stars**

**Rating: T/PG-13 [Rating Subject to Change**

**Pairings: Jacob/OFC, slight Edward/Bella**

**Summary: ****REPOST. ****After being sent to La Push to pull together a production of a musical as her audition to a prestigious choreography school, Katie learns that love can be found, even when you're not looking for it. [POST ECLIPSE; a year has passed since the events of Eclipse **

**[[[I didn't like the feel of this chapter, so I decided to tweak it a bit**

_Hey, little apple blossom, what seems to be the problem? All the ones you tell your troubles to, they don't really care for you…  
The White Stripes-Apple Blossom_

I laid my head back on the seat of the taxicab that was currently sloshing towards my new "home". I liked to refer to it as The Project, though. Home, to me, was sunny Fernandina Beach, Florida. That's where I had lived for eighteen years, and I most definitely wasn't happy about having to move all the way across the country to get into a college. What about my friends? I would have nobody here, no one to share inside jokes with, no one that would understand me as well as they did. I adjusted my headphones and closed my eyes, remembering how it had all happened.

**1-1-1-1**

I had gotten a tentative acceptance to the Burkhardt Institute of Choreography and Production, which happened to be the school of my dreams. After realizing that I was most definitely not cut out for life in a dance company, I decided to try choreography. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. I didn't have to worry about the catty dancers that filled my life with drama, or horrendous rehearsal schedules. It was just me and the mirror, dreaming up any dance I wanted. I flew up to Burkhardt, which was in Boston, and performed a piece that I had choreographed for them. I had never been so nervous in my entire life, more nervous than I had been when I auditioned for my company. I must have pulled it off, though, because a week later, I got a call telling me that I had to fly back up for a "personalized project".

The "personalized project" turned out to be a little more involved than I had thought. There were seven applicants and five spaces left for the new term. They had to have a system of choosing the students, so the creative director, Ms. Grant, came up with the whole idea. There were seven slips of paper in a hat, and we each had to choose one. _"Oh God, what if it's a yes or a no?" _I thought. I was terrified that I was going to be rejected. The other applicants looked just as nervous as I did. An African-American girl who was sitting next to me gave me a tiny smile and mouthed "good luck". I smiled back, but I didn't think she saw.

When we had each picked a piece of paper, Ms. Grant told us to open them. I held my breath and opened my slip, hands shaking madly. I looked down, and saw that it only had one word written on it, "CATS". Everyone was looking at Ms. Grant now, confusion on their faces. The smiling girl looked at me and said, "I got A Chorus Line, what did you get?"

"CATS", I replied. Ms. Grant cleared her throat and motioned for everyone to be quiet.

"Now, you all have a show written on your slip of paper. As I call of your name, I will tell you what city you will be staging it in." What? Did she want us to put on an entire production? Alone? This woman was insane!

"Laura Adams, you will take New Orleans." The girl sitting next to me nodded and said, "Sure". After calling a few more names, Ms. Grant read mine off.

"Katherine Williams, you have an Indian Reservation in Northwestern Washington State. See me after."

"Alright, let me explain this to you," said Ms. Grant. "In order to choose which applicants to accept, we have devised this system. Each of you will go to your city and put together your show, and stage a production. Now, we at Burkhardt Institute do not expect them to be Broadway quality, but expect to see your ability to teach and pull together a show on command. You will have until October 1st to complete your show, at which time I and other faculty members will come and evaluate your production. Your performance on this project will determine whether you will be accepted at Burkhardt. I suggest booking your plane tickets now, so you can have as much time as possible. The production is open to any community member, but be warned, if you have help staging the show, we will know. That is all, and good luck. Ms. Williams, a moment?"

I gulped. Was I in trouble? And what did she mean by Indian Reservation? I walked up to Ms. Grant and took a deep breath. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Katherine, there are several Indian Reservations in that general area, and we though that you might want to pick."

"Uh, okay," I said. This was weird…

"There are La Push, and the Makah and Hoquiam reservations," she explained crisply.

"Umm…" How was I supposed to pick? "La Push, I guess." At least I wouldn't have any trouble remembering how to pronounce it.

"Alright, I will call the elders and make the necessary arrangements for your stay."

"Thanks, Ms. Grant. I really am grateful to have this opportunity, and…" I trailed off, embarrassed.

"That's nice, dear." She smiled at me and took a step away, looking at a notepad. I took this as my signal to leave.

As I walked back to my hotel, I was lost in thought. How on Earth would I put on a production of Cats in a town full of people who had no dance training at all? And worst of all, my performance would determine whether I got into Burkhardt or not! I couldn't risk _not_ being accepted. How was I supposed to handle this? I knew that the original show was staged and choreographed in something insane, like five weeks, but I was an amateur! I felt sick when I opened the door to my room. My general reaction to stress was a mental breakdown, complete with profuse tears and crippling insecurity. As if I needed _that_ right now. I had to stay focused. Just stay focused, I repeated to myself. I could get through this.

**1-1-1-1-1**

So here I was, in La Push, Washington. I flew into the Sea-Tac airport in Port Angeles an hour ago, and it hadn't stopped raining yet. The trees were getting denser outside my window and I wondered how far away from civilization we were going. If I wasn't close to a decent Soon, the cab pulled up in front of a shabby red house. Funny, I had been expecting a hotel.

"That'll be 48 dollars, ma'am," said the cabby. Sheesh, that was pretty steep for a measly cab ride. I pulled a wad of bills from my pocked and extracted my fare, handing it to the driver. "Thanks," I said, climbing out of the cab. The door of the house opened, and a man in a wheelchair rolled himself out, flanked by two shirtless men, both of whom were very tall, and _very_ densely muscled. I groaned as I stepped out into the drizzle. My tightly curled brown hair would turn into an afro in this weather. I pulled it back into a ponytail and pulled the hood of my jacket over my head. I smiled at the men, and walked towards them.

"Hello, I'm Billy Black," said the man in the wheelchair. "This is my son Jacob," he indicated towards the taller man, and I realized that he wasn't exactly a man, more of an extremely overgrown teenager. He lifted his hand in response, and I smiled and nodded. "And this is Sam Uley, Jacob's…friend. You must be Katherine Williams."

"Oh, please call me Katie, Mr. Black. I'm very glad to be here." I figured it was best to be extremely polite. The boy named Jacob snorted. I glared at him.

"What, you think I'm not?" I asked him. He didn't even know me, and here he was _snorting_ at me!

"No one's glad to be in La Push," he explained. "Well, I am." I said indignantly. Actually, I wasn't, but I wasn't about to let him know that. He eyed me suspiciously. _What?_ I wondered.

"Well, then, Katie. Just call me Billy," he replied affably. I shot one last glare at Jacob and turned to Billy.

"Will do, sir."

Billy sent a meaningful look in the boys' direction. They moved towards the trunk of the cab and began unloading my luggage. I followed them, embarrassed by the sheer amount of my possessions. "We got it," the one name Sam said. I fell back, only stopping to grab my purse.

I followed everyone inside. The house was small, but cozy. I was a little unsure of what was going on. Wasn't I going to a hotel? I positioned myself next to the door in case I had to run. The boys started dragging my luggage down a hall. I wavered, unsure of whether to follow them. Billy saw the look of uncertainty on my face and said, "You'll be staying here with us, of course. There aren't any hotels nearby." I nodded.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll pull my own weight around here." He nodded.

"We don't exactly have a dance studio, but we have a Community Center, if that'll work." I blanched. No dance studio? That was just great. I almost gave him one of my famous eye rolls, then remembered that it wasn't his fault that there wasn't a dance studio.

Nodding, I said, "That'll be wonderful."

**1-1-1-1**

A few minutes later, I was in my new "room" and starting to feel a little worse for wear. It's not that the room was bad, it was just…small. Smaller than I was used to, at least. At home, my sister's and my rooms took up the entire second story. The first thing I grabbed was my faithful Bose iPod dock. How I loved it! It played my iPod faithfully, with amazing sound. I plugged the system into the wall, and set it on top of the dresser. Hanging above the dresser was a mirror with a whitewashed frame. I scrutinized my reflection, observing the effects of cross-country travel. My normally bright blue eyes were dull, and there were shadows under them. My makeup was smeared, so I licked my finger and attempted to neaten it up a bit. My freckles had faded in the absence of intense sunlight, and I looked washed out. Boy, I was a looker.

I grabbed the first suitcase on the floor, and slung it on to the twin sized bed, unzipping it with a flourish. I realized it was my "undergarments" suitcase, and opened the top drawer of the dresser. I put in the first pile of underwear, then turned around to get another stack. Once I had some more undies, I turned back around, only to see Jacob Black leaning casually against my dresser. In my surprise, I jumped, and the underwear went everywhere.

"Uh…" I started to say something, and then realized that I was standing like a lunatic covered in underwear. I dropped to the floor and started grabbing anything resembling lingerie. When I stood back up, he was still there, only this time, he was holding out a pair of blue cotton panties.

"You missed these," he smirked. I reached out and plucked them from his hand, turning bright red as I did so. I stuffed the pile into the drawer, and then turned around to face him, sticking my hands in the pockets of my jeans as I did so.

"So Billy says once you're unpacked, I should take you down to the Community Center so you can check it out." He said, eyeing me up and down. I zipped my jacket up and crossed my arms across my chest, not that there was much to look at.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I replied, managing to keep my tone even. I would get a chance to see what I had to work with.

"Just find me when you're done, and I'll take you down there," he said. "I'm not going anywhere, so I shouldn't be too hard to find.

"Okay then," I said, turning back to my unpacking and hoping the awkward conversation was done with.

I pulled my iPod out of my Vera Bradley purse and put it in the Bose, hitting Shuffle. I was a firm believer in the fact that songs could asses a situation better than any amount of human cogitation could, so I left the analysis to my iPod.

_I am his, you are his, you are me and we are all together. See how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly…_

Well, that was helpful, I thought sarcastically. I shook my head and channeled all my energy into unpacking, forgoing though in favor for the mindless oblivion of being lost in music.

**1-1-1-1-1**

**A/N: So, what did you guys think? I wasn't happy with the way the first chapter was when I posted it, so I tweaked it a little bit. Leave me a review and tell me your opinion. Oh, and the first reviewer to guess the song gets a Jacob/Wolf-shaped batch of cookies!**

**-ATS**


	2. Exploration

**A/N: Okay, here goes: second chapter! I hope you guys like it, and leave reviews! Since no one guessed in the last chapter, I ate all of the Jake cookies, and in result, gained twenty pounds. Okay, not really. The song in the last chapter was….."I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles! You'll get a Jacob-shaped lollypop if you review; I hope that's incentive enough. hint hint**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything, except for Burkhardt, and Katie, so far. **

"_You talk about me; you talk about you, and everything I do, like it's something that needs repeating…"_

_Mika-"My Interpretation"_

**---**

I sat on my neatly made bed, fully unpacked and staring at the small cardboard box in my hand. It was the only box of cigarettes I brought, and I was determined that it would be my last. I knew it was a disgusting habit, not to mention dangerous, but it brought a release whenever I was stressed or nervous. Smoking was something I picked up in high school, when it seemed like everyone was doing it. I felt guilty now, but I craved that fix. I told myself it was better than being addicted to cocaine or meth, but that didn't help much.

I flipped open the lid of the carton and looked at them, lined up all orderly. I ran a finger over the top of them, and then put the box inside my underwear drawer, hiding them under some bathing suits. Somehow, I didn't think bathing suits would be much in demand, if the weather was anything to judge by. Determined to forget about them, I picked up a bag of toiletries and went in search of a bathroom.

When I opened the door at the end of the hall, it was immediately clear that it wasn't a bathroom. It was a small bedroom, with one window facing the front yard. There was a double sized mattress on the floor with the sheets in disarray, a stereo on top of a stack of textbooks, and various articles of clothing scattered everywhere. A calendar with a picture of a souped-up sports car gracing the cover on the wall, and pictures haphazardly taped to the space around it. I knew I shouldn't be in what was obviously Jacob's room, but I was curious.

When I was standing in front of the collage, I examined each picture closely. The first one I saw was a group of five extremely muscled and very shirtless guys. Looking closer, I thought I could recognize Jacob and his friend Sam, but I wasn't sure; they all looked very much alike. Next to that was a picture of a beat up red Volkswagen. I assumed that it was Jake's car, because there were two more pictures of it. I smiled, thinking of my truck. It's a red four door Ford, with a HEMI. I loved the look on people's faces when they saw who was behind the wheel. Looking down to the worn wooden floor, I noticed a picture laying facedown. I picked it up and scrutinized it. The girl in the picture was pretty, in a fragile sort of way. She was thin and paler than I was, and had long, dark brown hair. She was smiling widely, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. There was a tightness about them, like she was fighting back tears. I wondered who she was. If she was Jacob's girlfriend, why was her picture hidden on the floor, facedown?

I stood up, placing the picture back where I found it on the floor. As I crossed Jacob's room, I was still thinking about the pale girl in the picture.

The next door I opened was the bathroom. It was small, with a white tile floor; a sink with a medicine cabinet above it was in the corner. The toilet was next to the shower. There was a blue rug in front of the shower, below a towel rack. Two faded blue towels were hung there, with washcloths on top of them. The shower curtain was a light blue striped affair, and I began to wonder if the actual shower would be blue, too. I pulled back the shower curtain, expecting the worst. There was a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush in one corner. _Well, that's weird,_ I thought. _Who brushes their teeth in the shower?_ There was a bottle of Axe soap in the corner, with a bottle of shampoo next to it. A black razor was resting on the soap dish.

I thought it would be rude to just put my things in the shower without even asking, so I put my shower caddy in the corner. I looked at my fuzzy purple bath pouf, and the rest of my unabashedly feminine products, enjoying the colorful splash they made against the overwhelming theme of blue.

I was a little nervous about having to share a bathroom with a teenaged boy. I shared a shower with my little sister back at home, but she was a girl…and family, so it wasn't weird at all. I didn't even really know the person who I would be sharing with this time. I shook my head and walked out, closing the door behind me.

The next door I opened was the laundry room. It was very cramped; there was only room for an ancient washer and dryer, with a cabinet above them. To my surprise, there was a rifle standing in the corner. I picked it up, checking to see if it was loaded. It was, and I was confused. Who kept a loaded rifle in their laundry room? What good would it do there? I closed the door and walked into my room. I grabbed my purse and went off in search of Jacob.

**----**

After searching the tiny house, I determined that Jacob was not inside. I walked outside onto a small, screened-in porch. I couldn't see anyone, but I heard voices. I opened the screen door and walked out into the backyard. There was a path beaten into the ground that seemed to lead into a small stand of trees, and it sounded like the voices were just behind them. I was surprised at how easy it was to breathe here; it seemed like the air was thinner. I guessed it was the lack of humidity that I was noticing, the same humidity that the coast of north Florida was famous for.

When I rounded the corner, I saw Jacob, and two guys who greatly resembled him, except with shorter hair. They were all shirtless, like they had been in the picture. The shortest boy was holding a toddler up in the air, spinning her around. The little girl was laughing a high-pitched giggle, and I smiled. Little kids were so cute! I was curious though. Most teenage guys didn't really like little kids, but this one looked like he was in heaven.

As I approached, Jacob stopped talking and nudged the second boy in the ribs, inclining his head at me. I felt a little self-conscious walking up to a group of really muscular, half- guys, but I put on my "confidence at all costs" face and smiled widely. "Hey Jacob," I said.

He grinned at me and tossed the hair out of his face. I couldn't help but notice the way his teeth were bright against his dark skin, the way his hair looked like black silk falling against the back of his neck. As I stood in front of him, I realized how much of a sheer giant he was. I had always thought of myself as being pretty tall, at five feet ten inches, but Jacob had to be over six five.

" 'Sup?" was Jacob's greeting. He was still grinning cockily at me. I imagined that he thought he was acting cool.

"I'm done unpacking," I replied. I wasn't going to fuel his little gangster fantasy. I looked at the boy with the little toddler. He was balancing her on his hip, looking down at her face every so often.

"Cool. So I guess you wanna see the Center, right?" _Nooo, what do you think? I just came out here to make meaningless conversation with you and your seemingly mute friends._

"Yes. I would like to see your little Center very much," I replied, letting some acid leak into my voice. I gave him a world-famous Katie Williams eye-roll. The boy next to Jacob wolf whistled.

"Wouldn't be sure that it's little if I were you," Jacob snickered, earning himself a high five from the friend without the kid.

"Yeah, no need to get all hot and bothered," laughed the high-fiving kid.

Ugh! The nerve! This was an awkward situation. I couldn't very well storm away like I wanted to, because Jacob was driving me. I settled for a glare that had reduced many people to ashes before. Well, figuratively, at any rate. He was still snickering as he walked around the side of the trees, flanked by his friends. I stomped after him, matching my stride with Baby Boy, as I had decided to call him. He seemed more sensitive. I smiled at the little girl, and she buried her face into Baby Boy's neck. Maybe he was her dad. Hmm; I hadn't thought of that before.

Jacob opened the door of his beat up Volkswagen with a flourish, bowing me in.

"M'lady," he snorted. I sat down on the cracked leather seat in a huff. I was prepared for the most annoying car ride of my life. _It's too bad he's such a cocky ,_ I thought, when he climbed into the driver's seat, still shirtless.

He fired up the ignition, and I was surprised to hear it start quietly, without the grating rumble I had expected for such an old car. He waved to his friends as he screeched out of the driveway, accelerating quickly. I gripped the edge of the seat tightly.

After a few minutes of no talking at all, Jacob asked me where I was from. "Florida," I replied bitterly, as I remembered that I would have to share a bathroom with him. No doubt he left the seat up on the toilet.

"So I guess you're not used to there being no sunshine." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," I answered stiffly. I was in no mood for twenty questions, especially from this teenager spewing fountains of stupid inquiries.

"How old are you?" Jacob asked. No. He wasn't seriously trying to hit on me. He must be pretty attention starved if he was resorting to hitting on me.

"I'm eighteen. Nineteen in October. And, for your information, I have a boyfriend, so this flood of unnecessary questions can cease now." Okay, I lied. I don't have a boyfriend. But seriously, what would it take to get him to leave me alone?

"What's his name?" Stupid, hormonal, cocky person!

"If you must know, his name is Christopher," I shot back. Oops. Chris was my best guy friend. The name sent me back to Florida, where every minute I was around him was agonizing. I've been in love with Chris since the second grade. [**A/N: Caitlin, shut up! I do not want to hear it** Saying he was my boyfriend gave me a rush. Oh, this was wrong, I told myself. Instead of thinking how wonderful it would be if Chris and I _were_ together, I focused on the mass of green outside my window. Every tree here was different, unlike Florida. Every tree there was a scraggly pine or, when you were lucky, a water oak.

"Sure, sure." Jacob said, raising an eyebrow. I glared out the window. Within five minutes, we pulled up to a white-painted wooden building. I threw the door of the car open and walked quickly to the steps leading up to the door. To my great annoyance, Jacob followed me. I took a deep, calming breath and stepped inside.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The only major flaws were the absence of a barre and mirrors. It was dark inside, but I could deal with that. On the other hand, it would be near impossible to teach without a mirror. I would have to see about getting one that would span the entire back wall.

I stepped into the center of the room and took off my shoes, determined to ignore Jacob Black's unwanted presence. I took a deep breath and tried a series of chaînés turns. The floor had a nice give to it, and didn't seem very warped. I decided that a jump would be in order, just to make sure that the floor wouldn't collapse under me. I took another steadying breath and did my best to do a grande jeté in jeans. I knew it was terrible the moment I was in the air. Oh well, it wasn't like Jacob was a connoisseur of ballet. He wouldn't know the difference. At least the floor didn't give out. I was comfortable with the place I would have to use as my studio, but I definitely needed a mirror.

I turned around, preparing to do a series of jazz pirouettes, because I would have terrible turnout if I had tried regular ones, when I bumped into Jacob. I mentally smacked myself for not sensing him come up behind me. I stepped back quickly, trying to put distance between us.

"You're really good," Jacob said wonderingly. I snorted.

"Well, if you think that's good, you're sorely lacking in your definition of 'good', because that was horrible." It took me a minute to remember that he had no idea what actual good versions of those steps looked like.

"If that's horrible, then you must look really great when they're good." I so didn't get this kid; at first he's all into being a jerk, and now he's complimenting me! He had more mood swings than I did!

"Um…thanks, Jacob," I said, a little unsure of his motives. He smiled a genuine smile, and my heart skipped a beat. An actual smile lit up his face immediately, unlike that unbecoming smirk.

"No one but my father calls me Jacob. You should call me Jake," he informed me, still smiling.

I couldn't help but smile back when I said, "Thanks, Jake." And as we stood in the dusky room, I knew I was falling for him.

**A/N: Okay, I'm ready for reviews! Tell me what ****you think: good, bad, or I just need to throw myself off a cliff to save the world from my abysmal writing skills. Look for the next chapter sometime soon!**

**Yes, I know Jacob is being a . But, fear not! He is not being OOC randomly, there is a purpose! Aforementioned purpose will be discussed in the next couple of chapters. Remember, this is a full year after Bella's left. **

**-ATS**


	3. And All That Jazz

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything except what is obviously mine (i.e. Katie, Burkhardt.)**

**A/N: There's been some confusion about the time period in which Katie has to stage Cats. Katie has until October 1****st**** to have the show finished and completely staged. At that time, representatives from Burkhardt will evaluate it, and she will learn if she's in or not. It is the beginning of June right now.**

**Thanks so much to my reviewers from last chapter: ****Fluffy Otters****Madeyes61****hanaharoo****Kurai-Tenshi-015**** and the wonderful, amazing, ****tokiwartooth****! You guys all get Jacob-shaped lollypops, but toki gets a Zacky Vengeance one! Sorry toki, I'm not sure if he's the one you like, but anyways, he's still from A7X.**

_And though I'll think of you until the day I die, I think I'll miss you less and less as every day goes by…_

_Sweeney Todd-Johanna (2)_

The car ride back to Jacob's house was quiet, with neither of us talking. I stole glances at Jacob when I thought he wasn't looking, trying to guess what he was thinking. Why was he suddenly being so…normal? I tried to steer my mind away from what happened in the Community Center; tried to focus on how to find people to dance in Cats. That was going to be a problem, and I knew it. No one had told me how to find dancers, and what was I supposed to do? Just hold an open audition? As far as I knew, no one here had even the remotest form of dance training. My stomach churned as I thought of how much was resting on my acceptance into Burkhardt. If I didn't make it in, my life would be over. I hadn't applied to any other schools because I was so positive that I would make it. Now, I wasn't so sure. Who would be able to help me find these people? I sighed, knowing my lack of resources was crippling me already. With a sudden burst of intuition, I realized that I could enlist Jacob to help me. Yes, that would be the true test to see if he was just acting like a fool in front of his friends, or if he really was as sweet as I thought he was.

"Hey, Jake?" I asked. I scanned his face as I waited for his reaction. He didn't seem to mind, so I continued on. "Can you help me with something?"

Jake looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, what's up?" I took a steadying breath and said,

"I have no idea how to find people to dance for me. And since I don't really know anyone here, I was wondering if you could maybe get the word out, you know, about me needing people who could try to dance in a production? I need both guys and girls, and I really don't care how old or young they are. Unless they're really old and decrepit, because it would be kind of hard for them to do the steps. It'd be wonderful if you could ask around for me. That is, if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" I trailed off, wondering where I had acquired verbal diarrhea.

Jake nodded and gave a small smile. "Sure, sure; I don't mind. You really should talk to Leah Clearwater, though. She used to take dance lessons, or gymnastics when she was little. I don't really remember which, but she was a cheerleader when she was in high school," he replied. Cheerleaders! I though wonderingly. I had forgotten about them, or maybe I had assumed that such a small town had no need for cheerleaders. _Cheerleaders would be great_, I thought. After all, they were already used to learning routines, so teaching them would be easy. _And teenage girls would be perfect for the roles of_ _Bombalurina, Jellylorum_ _and_ _Demeter_, I mused. I could get littler girls to play the "kittens". The real problem would be getting guys to dance. _The Rum Tum Tugger was going to be hell, along with Munkustrap and Mr. Mistoffelees. Especially Tugger, _I thought. The flamboyant cat was pretty over the top, with all of his hip-shimmying and swaying.

"Yeah, you can talk to her tomorrow, maybe when I'm at school or something. I'll leave her number out." Whoa, school? It was the first of June, for crying out loud!

"Thanks, Jake. This means a lot to me, really. It's hard enough going at it alone, but with you helping me, it's gonna be tons easier," I could tell I was gushing, and knew I needed to stop before I sickened myself with all this frothy joy.

"No problem," he grinned. I smiled back at him, still unsure of what his next mood would be. "So, uh, I don't really know anything about you, just that you're living in my sisters' old room, and you're putting on a production of an Eighties musical," Jacob said. "What kind of things are you into? Like, music and stuff," I smiled and decided to be a little more obliging during this round of twenty questions.

"Basically, I'm into every type of music, except for like, hardcore country. I love musicals and Broadway, so I listen to that kind of stuff a lot. You know, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Chicago, Sweeney Todd, the usual. Rock is cool, too. Not the really new stuff; I'm much more of an AFI kind of girl. They're a solid standby, ya know? I pretty much get into whatever music we were doing a routine to back in the dance company. When we'd do hip hop, I would go on a rap binge for a while. When it was ballet, I was into the classics. I'm like a musical chameleon, I guess," I replied. An annoying little voice in my head sang _Karma karma karma karma karma chameeeeeeleon. _I shook my head to rid it of Boy George, shuddering slightly.

Jacob nodded sagely. "Yeah, can't say I'm into musicals, but AFI's cool. So, classical, huh? Like, Mozart and Bach and all those old dead guys?"

It was my turn to snort now. "No, not just them. It's usually Tchaikovsky, or Gounod. Faust is an amazing opera; and the balletical pieces are great for well, ballet." I wasn't lying. Faust _was_ my favorite opera. I mean, what girl hadn't ever tried on her mother's jewelry in front of a mirror and thought about how wonderful and grown up she looked? There was a whole song in Faust about that, called The Jewel Song.

Jake nodded again, this time with a half smile on his face, as if wondering exactly how crazy I was.

"So, Jake. How old are you?" I asked. I was genuinely curious, wanting to know how much older I was than him. Yes, I know, it could turn into cradle robbing, but hey, I was allowed to be a little girlish when I wanted to.

"I'm seventeen, actually," he admitted sheepishly. I suppressed a giggle. This entire time he had been trying to make me think he was older than me, until he let slip that he was still in school.

"Wow, I never would have guessed. You look so much older," I said, trying to make him feel better. "So you're what, a senior?" I asked.

"Nope, that's next year. I'm still a junior," He popped his lips on the "p". Honestly, I thought he was a senior, same grade that I was. He sure looked it. I probably looked more like a junior than he did. Jeez, he looked like he could be out of college already. Our conversation stopped then, because Jacob had pulled up to the tiny red house, and killed the engine. I opened my door, only slightly annoyed that I had to boost my self upward to get out. _Not like that in my truck_, I thought. I had to jump down out of that baby.

"You can have the shower first, if you want," Jake offered shyly. "Thanks," I replied. I was surprised by his generosity. I sure wouldn't have offered up the shower first, if I had school in the morning. Jake held the door open for me as I walked into the house, and I smiled at him as I passed.

I walked into the tiny bedroom that had once been Jacob's sisters'. I couldn't imagine fitting two beds in it, and there still being space to walk around. I picked out a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt with the logo of my dance company on it to wear to bed. The shirt was one of my favorites, because I got it the year I was bumped up to the advanced team. My name was in bold letters on the back, with a star next to it that denoted my special status. I figured I should wear a bra to bed, in case I was surprised by Jacob or Billy later. No need for them to see my chest bouncing around randomly every time I moved, I thought to myself. I slipped off my shoes and took out my earrings. When I walked out into the small hall, I could see Jacob in the kitchen, eating a sandwich. Dinner! That's what I forgot…damn. Oh well, I'd scrounge something up after I showered.

**---**

**Jacob POV**

I was a little uncomfortable, sitting on the small loveseat in the living room, half listening to a girl that I hardly knew shower in my bathroom. _You better get used to it, Jake. She's living here for the rest of the summer, _I told myself. I tried not to think of the only other girl who had showered in that bathroom, besides my sister. I didn't know where Bella was now, but I could only assume it was somewhere with that leech. I knew better to hope that she was still human. Thinking of Bella hurt. After I left La Push before the wedding, I never saw her again. The Cullens left immediately after the wedding, and I only got back in October. The guys were excited about Katie coming to live with me, hoping that seeing someone new would kick me into imprinting, but it hadn't. I was glad, too. I didn't _want _to imprint just yet. I knew it was childish, but I just wanted to have some fun. Now that the vampires were gone from Forks, I thought I could use some of that. Problem was, every time I wanted to go out with a girl, Bella kept getting in the way. I would compare the girl of the week to Bella, and she always came up short. Eventually, I gave up. That was around March, I guess. Earlier today, before Katie came looking at me, Embry was trying to convince me into having a little fun with her. After all, she was kind of hot. I didn't see the harm in it, so I decided to give it a go.

I wasn't really sure how to "flirt", per se. With Bella, it seemed so natural, like breathing or phasing. I tried following Embry's approach, which seemed to be lewd jokes and acting tough. Judging from Katie's reaction, that was not the way to go. Next, I tried asking questions about her. That didn't go well, either. She lashed out and told me she was decidedly not single. But hey, he lived in Florida, which was all the way across the country. Unless she told him, he would never find out.

As my next flirting technique, I tried compliments. I knew that once Sam had imprinted on Emily, he couldn't stop telling her how absolutely beautiful and wonderful she was. I wasn't about to tell Katie that she was beautiful flat out, so I complimented her dancing. She was really good, so it wasn't even a fake compliment. She got defensive when I told her that I thought she was good, telling me that her performance had been horrible. I smiled at her, and the look in her eyes softened. I determined that that was the way to go, and was nice and respectful the entire way home, even when she mentioned her love for Broadway.

It helped that she was attractive, too. Not as pretty as Bella, but then again, no girl would ever be as beautiful as her in my eyes. She was tall, something that I hadn't expected. I still towered over her, but she could at least hold her own next to me. Her legs were long and muscular looking under her jeans, and I saw her abs when she stretched, her shirt up slightly. I guessed that was a normal build for a dancer. If Leah wasn't being a bitch tomorrow, I might ask her. I thought about that for a second. Nah, I decided. I wouldn't ask Leah anything. I felt kind of guilty for suggesting Leah to Katie, because Leah would probably tear her into shreds within five minutes of meeting her.

That was another problem: hiding the fact that I was a werewolf. With just me and Billy at home, there was no need for secrets. I would have to be careful with Katie around, not do anything that might give me away.

I heard the water in the bathroom shut off, and found myself suddenly aware that Katie was not twenty feet away from me, dripping wet and naked, just inside the bathroom. I shook my head to clear the images that were abounding there, rather unsuccessfully. I gripped the edge of the couch, trying to keep control. After a few minutes, I heard the door open. I opened my eyes and quickly jumped up, with a sheepish look on my face, trying not to let her see my guilt. I knew my eyes were lingering on her chest, but I didn't feel like moving them. Nope, she was different from Bella there. Actually, I couldn't see much until she turned to the side. There we go! When Katie turned back to me, I moved my eyes up to her face. Her blondish hair was brown, curling tightly to her shoulders.

"Um," I managed, trying to think of a compliment. Katie cocked her head at me, waiting for me to finish my sentence. "Did you have a nice shower?" I asked. Wow. Did I just ask that? I wanted to kick myself.

"Yes, it was quite possibly the most enjoyable shower I've ever had in my entire life. Your turn." Katie rolled her eyes at me. She was good at that; even I couldn't manage that level of faux annoyance.

"Oh. Well, that's good. I'm just gonna go…take a shower now," I mumbled, trying not to say anything else stupid. I ran my hand through my shaggy hair. After Bella left, I chopped it off again, not wanting to be reminded of her. As I walked through the doorway, Katie looked up at me. I was too tall for the doorway, and my head was bowed. Katie was almost pressed up against my chest as she said my name softly.

"Jake?" she asked. I could see every individual eyelash as she looked up at me through them. I thought about kissing her and instinctively leaned in closer.

"Yeah?" I murmured. I thought I imagined her plum colored lips coming closer; I could feel her breath on my face. She smiled and looked up at me again, biting her lower lip. "Would it be cool if I…" I didn't give her a chance to answer. I leaned in and kissed her full on the lips, tilting her chin upward. She kissed me back, laying her hand on my chest. I grabbed her lower back and pulled her towards me. I probed her lips with my tongue, and she opened them, letting me have access to her mouth. When she wrapped her other arm around my neck, I ran my hand up and down her back, letting it settle on her waist. Katie broke off the kiss and stepped back, smiling at me.

"Actually, I was going to ask if it would be cool if I made myself a sandwich, but I won't say no to being kissed again." I grinned at her and pulled her body closer again, touching my lips to hers. I felt Katie smile into the kiss and I took her hand, reluctantly breaking the contact between our lips.

"How's about I make you that sandwich?"

**A/N: There you go! squee Read and review my friends, and I'll post another chapter this weekend without fail!**


	4. Don't Speak

**Disclaimer: Still don't own. **

**A/N: Sorry, it's not the weekend anymore, but I wasn't even near a computer for the longest time. LotR called, and I had to listen, haha. Aragorn! Thanks so much to my reviewers; here's another chapter! –toki, as promised in World History, here you are. Along with Hot Guy and all of your other craziness, so enjoy!**

_Well the clock's heart it hangs inside its open chest with hands _

_stretched towards the calendar hanging itself  
but I will not weep for those dying days.  
For all the ones who've left there's a few that stayed.  
And they found me here and pulled me from the grass where I was laid_.

_**-Bright Eyes, "The Calendar Hung Itself"**_

**----**

I woke up the next morning around ten o'clock, with the sun streaming in through the window. The thing that came into my mind was last night with Jacob. I didn't exactly regret it, but I still felt guilty. The kissing was amazing, and I hadn't felt that warm since I arrived in La Push. No, it was more of an uneasy feeling. I had made a mistake in letting myself be kissed by the guy who I was going to be living with for the next few months. Not only would that create awkward situations with Billy, I was worried about what happened if I actually ended up liking him more than I already did, and then we broke up. That would be the most awkward situation in the history of awkwardness in general. Well, that and being caught having sex with Jacob by Billy…okay, no. I am **not **thinking about that.

Besides my fear of awkwardness, I still had to put Cats on by the end of the summer. I couldn't afford to be distracted by Jacob and the possibility of a relationship with him; I needed to stay focused. As my thoughts strayed to Cats, I groaned. It had to be perfect by October 1st; and I had no idea how to even begin! _At least Jake will ask around for me today when he's at school, I thought. _The girl named Leah sounded promising to me; it would be so much easier if there was someone who could handle an intense dancing role like Victoria.

All of the sudden, a thought burst forward in my mind. I didn't have to go at this alone! I could ask my friend Caitlin to help me; she was spending the entire summer at her grandfather's house with his new wife, and I was sure that she wouldn't care if I dragged her away from three months of Bingo nights. I jumped out of bed and shivered when my feet hit the cold floor. Socks were definitely the first item I would be putting on this morning. I dressed quietly, not sure if Billy was asleep still. Jacob was at school, and was hopefully spreading the news about my production. I would have time to talk to Caitlin about coming up to La Push later; she'd probably still be asleep.

I knew I was going to walk down to the Center, so I put on my long-sleeved leotard over my tights, put on jazz pants over them, and then layered my gray leg warmers over them. I pulled my Beaches High School Dance Team hoodie over my head and grabbed my jazz shoes. Knowing that it would ruin my expensive jazz shoes to walk over the rocky ground to the Center in them, I tied on my New Balance running shoes. I hefted my Bose up into my arms and put my iPod into my pocket, and grabbed my Vera Bradley Ditty Bag as I walked out the door.

Walking out into the living room, I realized I was alone in the house. Billy was nowhere to be seen, and the light in his room was out. I made my way into the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar and water bottle from the pantry, which I stuffed in the Ditty Bag. I decided that it would be smart to leave a note, in case Billy was wondering where I was. It felt weird, because it was almost like I was back home, leaving notes for my mother so she'd know where I was. I put my cell phone number on the bottom of the note, and walked out the door.

The sky was gray and cloudy and I wondered if it was going to rain. That was another thing I had noticed the previous night: the rain was pretty constant all night long. It hadn't exactly kept me awake, but I was aware of it, alright. I squelched through the mud out of Billy's driveway and on to the main road. I shivered a little hitched my Vera Bradley farther up my back. I set of at a good clip, determined to get to the Center as quick as I could to avoid the damp.

**Jacob POV**

"And even though school is wrapping up, you still need to focus on your last few grades that are going to be going in this semester. Remember, we're finishing up our lab on finding the empirical formulas of ionic compounds tomorrow, and your practice problems are going to be due then as well. Let's see, the last day of school is Friday, and I think we'll be having our test on Wednesday, so please, please, please study for that…" I tried to tune my chemistry teacher, Ms. Whitaker, out during the last period before lunch. I could really care less about my chemistry test in two days; honestly, I could really care less about chemistry, period. I was thinking about whether people would actually show up on Saturday morning for Katie to explain to them what the whole deal with Cats was. Earlier in the morning, I had gone up to groups of girls and told them about the show, and asked if they would be interested in being a part of it. There were a few girls who had danced before, but they were mostly transplants from the Makah reservation. Yeah, there were never any dance classes in La Push. There isn't much of anything here; just a couple stores, the community center, and the beaches.

I jumped when something hit the side of my head. Whipping my head around, I glared at Paul, who was trying to look nonchalantly out the window. I opened op the ball of paper and stared at the words, trying to decipher Paul's spiky handwriting. _What's the deal with you and this Katie chick? You have this sick look on your face…and I haven't seen it since the leech lover left._

I snorted. _Great, Paul. Nice use of tact there. _I know he knows that it hurts me to mention Bella. I mean, how could he not know, with the pack mind? I couldn't exactly hide my pain. I had gotten better since last summer, but it was still hard to conceal. I sighed. These feelings for Katie were confusing; I still cared for Bella more than I'd ever care for anyone else, but Katie was sweet and pretty…and I liked her. After I kissed her last night, I felt the soaring feeling I hadn't felt since I kissed Bella before the fight with the newborns. I twisted in the hopelessly uncomfortable molded plastic lab chair that would always be too small for me and wished that the bell would ring already. I couldn't believe that Ms. Whitaker was trying to force a test upon us during the last week of school. She had to know that we weren't paying attention to learning how to determine the empirical formula of a compound when only given the mass percentages.

Finally, the bell rang. Salvation! I walked quickly out of the classroom, not bothering to wait for Jared and Paul. I had to find Seth and tell him that I needed to talk to Leah before she took him home. Seth was a sophomore and still had to bum rides off his older sister. Leah had somewhat calmed down since I had gotten hurt protecting her from the newborn bloodsucker. She, too, had learned to try and control her thoughts when we were in wolf form.

I saw Seth's gangly form loping towards the cafeteria and I quickened my pace to catch up to him. "Seth!" I called. When he didn't turn around I yelled louder, "SETH CLEARWATER!" My voice frightened a group of tiny freshmen, who glanced timidly up at me, hurrying faster. Seth turned around and waited for me, forcing the rest of the student body to flow around him like an island. The general population of La Push High School avoided the pack; even if they didn't know why. We were always given wide berth, and some of the teachers shied away from chastising us in fear of our famed anger.

"What's up, Jake?" Seth asked, holding up a hand for a high five. I smacked his palm and replied,

"I need to talk to Leah when she picks you up this afternoon. Can you get her to wait?" Ever since I had tweaked the engine of Leah's beat up green Honda Civic, she took pleasure in tearing out of the parking lot once she picked up Seth.

"I'll make sure she sticks around for a while," Seth smiled. I smiled back. I couldn't help liking Seth; he was a solid guy. Good wolf too, if a bit overeager. But hey, the guy was only fifteen, so I cut him some slack. Collin and Brady walked up to Seth and nodded at me. Seth greeted them and said goodbye, walking towards the cafeteria with his friends. I turned around and walked out to the courtyard, where Jared, Paul, Embry, Quil, Kim and I sat every day.

"Hey, Jake!" Kim called. I smiled and waved to her. Kim was great; she kept us straight when Emily wasn't around. Paul threw a sandwich at me (Jeez, what's with Paul and projectiles today?!) while Embry and Quil waved. I tossed the sandwich back at Paul, and before he could throw it back and bring on a full-tilt food fight, Emily grabbed it from him and threw it in a bush. I sat down on the ground and tossed my beat up backpack on the ground next to me. "Hey guys" I said, stealing a bag of grapes from Quil and leaning up against a tree. Quil smacked me on the arm and Embry grinned lasciviously at me, with Emily's potato salad spilling out of his mouth. Ah, the joys of friendship.

**Katie's POV**

When I arrived at the Center, I was already sweaty and damp, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Thankfully, no one was in the main room. Didn't people ever use this place? I turned on an overhead light and surveyed the space I had to work with. The need of a decent mirror stood out at me more when the room was illuminated in stark fluorescent light. I walked over to a wall outlet and plugged the Bose in and shoved in my iPod, selecting "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliot to warm up to. I pulled off my leg warmers and jazz pants, and then re-layered the leg warmers over my pink tights. Next, I tugged off my sneakers and replaced them with my black Sansha jazz shoes.

It's kind of hard to describe how I stretch. It's just basic stuff, really. I limber up my legs and torso to get ready for the ballet exercises I'm planning on doing and then do a couple sets of sit ups for good measure. I lunge-walked (**there, Caitlin!**) to the Bose and debated about what song to choose. I ended up deciding against ballet and went for a more hip hop vibe, choosing "Low" by Flo Rida. The advanced group in my dance team did a routine to it earlier in the year, and the choreography was still ingrained in my feet. I could do the steps without thinking, and the dance was exciting. I always ended up breathing hard at the end. I was looking forward to some good cardio.

The distinct first verse started with, "Shawty had them Apple Bottom jeans, boots with the fur, shawty had the whole club lookin' at her…" and I jumped into the dance. The steps flowed out of me like water and for the first time since I had been in La Push, I felt at home.

The dance was over too soon, and as I wiped the sweat off my brow, I tried to think of another dance I could do. I grabbed my water bottle and sat on the scratched wood floor. My legs were getting hot, so I pulled off the leg warmers and tossed them into a corner. Suddenly, inspiration burst forth into my psyche. Forget hip hop, I could do some lyrical! I rushed over to my iPod and started "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. **(A/N: In case you don't know, that's the theme to **_**House**_**…there are actually words to it) **

I stood in the middle of the floor and let the steps flow out again. I actually made up the choreography for this song, and it was what I sent into Burkhardt. The lyrics were soft and quirky and lessened the tenseness I was feeling about making life work in La Push.

When the song ended, I walked back over to the Bose for another go-round of dance madness. I put on the Sleeping Beauty ballet album and did as much as I could remember. Although I was no longer required to practice ballet any more, the habit was strong. After all, I had done ballet every day for at least an hour for as long as I could remember. If lyrical was an emotional release, and hip hop was a rush of energy, then ballet got me focused. I always felt beautiful and cultured when I danced ballet; even if I wasn't the best in my company. I was never good enough to garner the leading roles, but I wasn't just stuffed into chorus pieces so my I wouldn't get offended. I realized too late that Pointe would be impossible in jazz shoes, which was upsetting. Pointe was actually fun for me, rather than a chore like the other girls saw it as. For some reason, the girls in my company despised standing on their toes on wood blocks. Note the sarcasm, please.

By the time I was done with what I could do in Sleeping Beauty, it was 2:40 and I was ready for some more hip hop. I took a long drink of water and ate my granola bar. I turned on "Pass that Dutch" by Missy Elliot and ad-libbed my own choreography for a while. Seriously, I love Missy Elliot. Her music is so energetic, and if you actually pay attention to the lyrics, they're funny. After re-playing the song over and over again, I had come up with choreography for twenty seconds of it. Now, you might not think that's a lot, but when seconds are measured in eight counts, it is. I took a deep breath and decided that I would pull it all together and see how I liked it so far.

I was partway through when I did a push-up jump right onto a pair of very large feet clad in beat-up sneakers. Jacob! I scrambled up from the floor and wiped my sweaty hair off my sweatier forehead, looking up into his deep brown eyes. He was grinning at me, and his lips were moving. Problem was, I couldn't hear what he was saying. Why was that? Oh! The music was too loud! I rushed over to the Bose and unplugged it from the wall.

"Hey," I said breathlessly. It wasn't just the exercise that was taking my breath away; it was the way he was smiling at me. His sunny smile light up the gloomy room and made me feel warm inside.

"Hey yourself," was the reply. "That dance looked really good. Was it for Cats?" Jake asked, still grinning. Craps! I had almost forgotten about Cats…which reminded me, I really needed to call Caitlin. "Um, no. Definitely not…that was just for fun," I answered, returning his smile. That was good. I didn't say anything absurd, or ask to eat his shirt or something equally strange.

"So, um, about last night," Jake started. I groaned internally. This was where he was going to tell me that he had been under the influence of mind-altering drugs, and actually hadn't meant to kiss me. That, or he had an identical twin that was attracted to sweaty dance-a-holics. I tried to keep cool as I answered him. "Yeah, what about it?" I asked. Oooh, I didn't mean to sound that defensive. I hoped that he wouldn't take it the wrong way and think I was trying to put on a tough gal act.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I don't think it was a mistake. And that I'd really like it to happen again…but only if you want to." I felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me in the chest. He wanted to kiss me again? Really? I felt like jumping up and down like a little girl and crying at the same time. I wasn't really sure why I wanted to cry, but it was a little frightening. I could see that he was waiting for some sort of response, so I tried to form a coherent sentence.

After half a minute of opening and closing my mouth like a large-mouthed bass, I gave up and smiled. Jake laughed, and my heart soared. "Is that a yes?" he asked. I nodded vehemently and felt my breath catch in my chest as he moved closer to me. All of the sudden, a terrible realization hit me: I was covered in 5 hours of dance sweat! I took a step back from Jacob, and he stopped with a puzzled look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned, his confused expression turning to one of concern.

"Well, I'm covered in sweat…and I pretty much stink right now," I mumbled, embarrassed. Jake smiled and walked towards me again.

"Katie?" he asked me. I looked up at his beautiful face and answered. "Yes?"

"I really don't care if you stink like a man right now. I just wanna kiss you," he stated emphatically, brushing a strand of sweaty hair off my neck. "Okay," I agreed, dazzled. He cupped my chin and brought my face closer to his, looking in my eyes. I shut my eyes and parted my lips. Jake's hand was hot on the small of my back as he pulled me closer.

When our lips met in a hungry crash, I moaned into the kiss, relishing the feeling of his soft mouth on mine. Jake's other hand moved to the back of my neck and tilted my head further up to his. I wrapped my arm around his neck and rested my hand on his chest as I opened my lips to let his tongue into my mouth. I sighed in ecstasy, reveling in the intensity of the kiss. To my surprise, my face was wet. I was crying! A tear dripped from my eyes onto the lower part of Jacob's face. He pulled back and looked at me with the same concerned look on my face. I wracked my brain to come up with a rational reason for while I was crying during one of the greatest things I experienced in several moths. I came up with nothing, so when Jacob asked what was wrong, I shook my head and replied, "Nothing. I'm just really happy." Jake smiled at me and kissed me again with fierce passion. I could feel fire racing through me and I wrapped both my arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Jake's strong arms lifted me off the ground, so I swung my legs around his waist to avoid dropping off. Jake pushed me up against the wall and continued ravishing my mouth. I pushed my hips closer to his and he groaned loudly, breaking the kiss and setting me back on my own two feet.

"No," he breathed, looking into my eyes. "As great as that was, we have somewhere to go," he told me. Where on Earth? I wondered.

"We're going to Leah's house so you can talk to her about Cats," Jacob explained. Oh. That was important. I nodded and Jake backed away from me, so I could un-squish myself from the wall. He extended his hand to me, and I grabbed it. Jacob pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed it. I blushed fiercely, and he grinned at me as we walked out the door of the Center.

**A/N: Yeah, that was a long time coming…sorry! Please, please, PLEASE review. In fact, as incentive, I will not post the next chapter [which shall be coming shortly until I get at least five reviews. And, toki, they can't all be from you. **

**As always, read and review!!!**

**-ATS**


	5. Sandy Situations

Disclaimer: Don't own

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**A/N: So here we are, another chapter of Sunburst! Thanks to my reviewers…and to Stephenie Meyer for creating Jacob Black. Okay, so here's the deal with this chapter. I know in the books that Leah Clearwater is pretty much the meanest werewolf out there, but hey, this is my story, and in here, she's calmed down ****a lot****. She understands that the pack accepts her for who she is now; thanks to some hard thinking after Jacob left (she thinks it was her fault). Got it? Good-now read the story.**

**Okay: TIME JUMP! Not very long, just until Friday afternoon of this week (in the story…)**

**NEW A/N: I'm sorry about the lack of updates, guys. I kind of lost interest in the story for a while, because Sky High grabbed me again. Thanks to all my reviewers, including the anonymous ones. I'll try to respond to your reviews as quickly as possible! **

_Bad is good for me, I'm bored, so clean and so ignored. I've only been predictable, respectable. Birds fly out of here, so why oh why oh why the hell can't I? I only want variety of society…_

_Eva, Beware of the City-Evita_

The sound of screaming teenage voices filled the air as the final bell rang, students spilling out of every orifice of the school. Embry leapt up on Jake's back as they sprinted to get to their cars. School was over for summer! Jake flipped Embry over his back and dropped him on the ground, laughing as he raced towards the Rabbit. "Asshole!" Embry called from the ground, running to catch up with Jacob. Seth Clearwater sped past Jacob, slapping the side of the Rabbit when he stopped.

"Haha, I beat _both_ of you!" he shouted gleefully. Jake loped over to the car and smacked him on the shoulder, trying to get him to move so he could open the car door. "Jake, there's gonna be a bonfire tonight. Leah says you're supposed to bring your girlfriend so she can talk about that dance thing that's going on whenever." Jake smacked Seth on the arm and wrenched the car door open.

"What time?" Jake asked before shutting the door. "Around six-ish, I think. Just show up whenever, I guess," Seth said

"Yeah, okay. We'll come." Jake shut the door of the Rabbit and gunned the engine, smiling when he heard it purr to life.

I was sitting on the bed again, in the same situation as when I had unpacked. I was holding the pack of cigarettes in my hand, thumbing the top. When Jacob told me that we were going to go to a beach party, I immediately went in search of a bathing suit. During my search for the bathing suit, I found the cigarettes. They were like a magnet, pulling me in. I am ashamed of myself for being one of those people I denounced, who were a slave to their addiction, but damn it all, I wanted a cigarette!

"Hey, Katie, are you almost ready?" came Jake's voice from outside her door. Katie shoved the cigarettes under a pile of underwear and pulled my Hollister bathing suit cover up on over my bikini. Yes, it was a bikini. Florida, hello! In my town, a girl without a bikini was seriously lacking. This particular _traje de baño _was white with multicolored plaid on it. It was a halter top, and the bottom had a little skirty thing on it. I liked it; it was my favorite. My Florida tan hadn't faded yet, so the white popped against my skin.

Now that my moment of narcissism was over, I grabbed my sunglasses and put them on top of my head, and slipped my feet into my purple Havaianas and opened the door. Jacob was in the small living room, and chuckled when I walked into the cramped room.

"What is it?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"Just the fact that you look like you're going to be sunning in the Bahamas. It _is_ still the Olympic Peninsula, even if it's sunny outside. You're gonna freeze your ass off," he stated frankly.

"Then I'll get a jacket," I replied, peeved at being unprepared, and absolutely ticked that Jake caught me on it. He smirked at me and said,

"You're gonna need more than a jacket; I'd bring a blanket," Did he get some sort of sick pleasure from annoying me to no end? I wondered, as I grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet in the hallway. I walked back in to the living room and announced to Jacob,

"Will I be sufficiently warm, or is this blanket too thin for your lofty tastes?" I sniped. How is it that he can be the sweetest person ever one minute, then the most aggravating person in the entire world the next?

"Yeah, that'll be fine," he said, flashing a smirk at me. He knew he was riling me up; he just liked to annoy me! Jake stood up and loped out the door, expecting me to follow. I stalked out after him, attempting to burn through his thick skull with my intense glare. So far, I wasn't having any luck.

I slumped in the seat of the car, staring angrily out the window. Jacob must have noticed my tense posture and decided to quit his day job of annoying pest and said, "Look, Katie. I was just messing with you. You're gonna be warm enough, even if the blanket's too thin," He rested a hand on my shoulder, and I grudgingly turned around to face him. He was smiling gently at me, like I was some sort of animal that he was trying to get to trust him. I sighed and grabbed his hand off my shoulder and held his hand.

"I know. Still doesn't stop me from getting pissed, though," I explained. Jake squeezed my hand and turned the car on.

The drive to First Beach wasn't far. Jacob said that we could have walked it, but that I wouldn't appreciate the walk at night. As we rounded the corner from behind some trees, I was a little surprised at what I saw. I had sort of, stupidly, been expecting a Florida beach. No, this was much different. The shore was rocky, and there were several cliffs lining the cove. There was a crowd of about fifteen people on the beach, and they all looked like Jacob. Well, the guys, anyways. There were only three girls that I could see, and there was a toddler asleep on a blanket. A huge bonfire burned in the center of the sand, and a couple of guys were roasting hot dogs in it. It seemed like a fun crowd, so I perked up a little.

I had already met Leah earlier in the week, and I liked her a lot. She was really sweet to me, even if she was disorganized. Her small house was cluttered with endless piles of clothes and shoes, which reminded me of my room at home. We had hit it off right away, bonding over her Tocca shirt dress that was on the floor.

I strolled onto the beach, still holding Jacob's hand. Our relationship was a little…weird. It was like we'd fallen into some unspoken rhythm of co-existing. It was like he knew me better than I knew myself. He could always tell when I was sulking, or pissed off, and knew just when to stop teasing me before I blew up at him. I'll be the first to admit it, I have a pretty volatile temper. When I get mad, I get _really _mad. I'll scream and yell and say things I don't mean, then eventually burst into tears and run off, usually to throw a couple books at the wall. Sounds crazy, right? Eh, it was just me. People who had known me for my entire life got used to it, but I'd only known Jacob for less than a week, and he wasn't totally freaked out by my outbursts. We hadn't really kissed that often, much to my dismay. Whenever he was at the house, he was always really sleepy or working on a car in his garage. I didn't mind _that_ much, though. I needed to pay attention to CATS, and if we were constantly making out, I wouldn't be able to do that.

I called Caitlin, and she promised to be right up, bringing the RV and my truck, thank God. I hated being chauffeured around, and while walking was a good workout, it wasn't fun to squelch along in the mud and mist every morning. Our conversations always reminded me of talking to a schizophrenic crack addict.

"_Hey, Caitlin. What's up?"_

"_Eh, just trying to decide whether I should call Hot Guy or not."_

"_Cool, cool. Hey listen, I got a favor to ask you. Can you take the RV and come to Washington?"_

"_Uhhh, why?"_

"_I think I'm gonna need your help. And there's this guy…"_

"_IS HE HOT?"_

"_Yeah. He's really hot."_

"_Like, Hot Guy hot? Or like, M. Shadows hot?"_

"_C, you know I don't think Hot Guy's hot, and I could really care less about A7X, but swear to God he's hot."_

"_Sounds fun. I'll ask the ancient ones, and call ya back, okay?"_

"_Sure."_

"_And Katie?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You don't suck the dick, the dick gets sucked,"_

"_Thanks. I'll remember that."_

Yeah, that conversation was pretty tame. I was excited that I would see my best friend; in the two weeks we'd been apart, I was tired of having no one to laugh at my perverted sex jokes. And I even missed her obsessing over Hot Guy, who she'd been in love with since our sophomore year, and still hadn't asked him out. She'd once hidden behind me and stuck her phone under my armpit so she could take a picture of him without being seen.

"Hey, Katie!" Leah yelled from near the bonfire. I smiled brightly at her, and dropped Jake's hand to give her a hug. Did I mention that I really liked Leah?

She gave me a squeeze, and pulled me down to sit on the sand next to her. The sun was starting to set, so I put my sunglasses on. I surveyed the crowd of people surrounding the fire. There were two boys who looked a lot like Jacob, and a pretty Indian girl, who was sitting between one of the boy's legs, leaning up against his chest. Her head was tilted up, and she was smiling at the boy, who was running his hands through her hair.

Seeing their romantic gestures made me look around for Jacob. Would he hold my hand or kiss me in front of his friends, or was that not done because I was a newcomer? I couldn't see him, so I turned to talk to Leah.

"So, what's up?" I asked. Leah tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and took a sip of Diet Coke.

"Nothing, really. I was over at the Center all day, setting up," This intrigued me. What was she setting up for? I decided to ask.

"What were you setting up for?"

"You'll see; it's a surprise," Leah said, teasing me. I laughed and re-adjusted my butt in the sand. It was kind of chilly. I guess Jake was right about me being cold.

"So, do people not swim at the beach here?" I asked Leah. She laughed and answered,

"Not swimming, per se. They cliff dive," she said, gesturing to one of the tall cliffs surrounding the bay. A tiny, person sized speck was hurtling towards the ocean beneath.

"Oh my God; that's crazy!" I shouted. "Who'd actually _want_ to do that?!"

"All the guys do it. I've even gone a couple times. Of course, it's easier when you've got a fur coat," Leah's face blanched, like she'd said something she shouldn't have. "You know, like the one I showed you from YSL the other day," she amended, laughing nervously.

"Oh, I get it. Yeah, can't say I brought one of those tonight," I said. There was silence around the campfire for a few minutes, then Leah spoke up.

"Wow, you must think I was raised by wolves; where are my manners? This is Kim, Jared's girlfriend, and Emily, Sam's fiancée," Leah explained. Kim waved at me and smiled. Emily turned around from her conversation to greet me warmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Katie. Jacob's told us so much about you," I was going to come up with a witty reply, but then I noticed Emily's face. Three puckered scars ran down the length of it. I was speechless for a moment, then said,

"Oh, don't listen to anything he says. He probably made me out to be some kind of crazy Florida girl," Emily laughed.

"Oh no, he's been very complimentary. He does have some manners, he just doesn't show them very often."

All of the sudden, five guys sat down around the campfire at once. I looked around, shocked at how much they all looked alike. I thought they were the boys from the picture I had seen in Jacob's room, but I couldn't be sure. They were all shirtless, tanned, and very muscular. One of the boys sat down next to the sleeping toddler and gently laid her down on his lap, his hand rubbing her head tenderly. Okay, I wasn't going to deny it, but that was weird. Unless he was her father, like I had hypothesized earlier. Then it was sweet.

Jacob sat down next to me, and I immediately moved closer to him, drawn by the warmth of his body. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer.

"Jeez, Katie. You're freezing!" he exclaimed, handing me the blanket. I wrapped the fabric around me, but I was still cold. I snuggled into his side, trying to absorb as much body heat as possible.

"Awww, Jake. You're so sweet!" Hooted a boy from across the fire. Jake threw him a look and said, "So what if I am? I don't see you with a…girlfriend!"

The boy laughed uproariously at this and punched another guy sitting next to him. "Ya hear that, Sam? Jake's got himself a girlfriend!" So that's Sam, I thought. As I looked at him more closely, I noticed that he was older looking than the rest of the identical seeming boys.

"Shut it, Embry!" Jacob growled. I could feel him shivering next to me. Was he really that angry? "You won't kiss her," the boy called. "You won't, you won't!"

"Embry!" Jacob shouted, to no avail. "You won't! No balls!" That seemed to do Jacob in. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to his chest roughly, kissing me fiercely. Somehow, I ended up reclined in Jake's arms, my hair brushing the sand while he was ravaging me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back with just as much fervor. No way I was going to give up having Jacob kiss me again for modesty's sake! His hand was hot on my back, and I felt war from my head to my toes. There were whistles and catcalls from all around the fire. I felt Leah laughing next to me, and I was sure she had a nice view down my bathing suit top. Oh, crap! My bathing suit! The top was slowly making it's journey southward. I really didn't want Jake to stop kissing me, but I knew it would be even worse if I ended up topless, so I pulled away, and whispered in Jake's ear, "My top's coming off, and this _so_ isn't the time for an exposeé." Jacob smiled against my cheek and kissed my forehead.

"We'll save that for later, then," he whispered saucily. I straightened back up and tried to shake as much sand out of my bathing suit cover up as I possibly could without being obnoxious about it. There was an awkward silence around the campfire, until Leah cleared her throat and said,

"Well, now that that's over, I think it's time for us to head over to the Center for Katie's surprise," There were nods and murmurings of assent from everybody, and I grinned in anticipation. What did Leah have waiting for me?

Jake stood up and pulled me up with him. "Okay, let's get going then, if we're gonna go," The rest of the boys stood up and stretched. Jared helped Kim up, and the boy with the baby Dang it! I keep forgetting to ask his name! cradled the little girl in his arms.

We started walking towards the parking area for the beach, and Jacob pulled me into a stand of trees, pulling me into another heated kiss. I threaded my hands through his long hair and pulled his face closer to mine. His entire body seemed like it was on fire, and I felt like I was melting into him. Suddenly, Jacob pulled away.

"Damn it, Katie! Why do you do this to me?" he groaned, running a hand along my cheek. "You're too irresistible for your own good, did you know that?"

"That's what they tell me," I replied glibly. Jacob grinned at me, and grabbed my hand again, leading me to the car.

As we were driving towards the Center, I decided to bring up the subject of our relationship. "Jake, what exactly _are_ we?" I ventured. I had no clue of what his reply would be, so I waited with baited breath.

Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair, driving with one hand. I said quickly, "Because you called me your girlfriend in front of Embry, and I'm not exactly sure what that means in your book," I said, breathing quickly.

"Katie, I really like you. Probably more than I should, 'cause you're only here for a little bit, but I'd like to make the most of it while we can. I mean, after Bel-…well, after…anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I'd really like us to be…together." Jacob exhaled, like he'd been holding his breath, too.

"That's what I want, too, Jacob. I like you a lot and…yeah, I'm glad you feel that way too," By this time, we were at the Center. There were about three cars out front, and the lights inside were off, giving the building a menacing look.

"Is everyone here already?" I asked.

"Yeah, I drove slow," Jake replied. He stopped the car and leaned over close to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you like your surprise," he grinned.

I got out of the car and walked warily towards the door, now unsure of what was going on. If everyone was here already, then why were the lights off and everything quiet? I lifted a hand to the doorknob, and took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever was inside the door.

As I opened the door, the light flicked on, and a multitude of voices shouted, "Surprise!"

The entire center had been transformed into a ballet studio, complete with mirrors covering the back wall, and a barre along another. Unlike a ballet studio, the floor was covered in air mattresses and a variety of children from toddlers to teenagers. Leah was in the center of all the mayhem, a huge smile on her face. For once, I was speechless. I stood there in the doorway, gulping like a fish.

"Well, do you like it?" Jake asked, coming up behind me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"I…I don't know what to say," I stammered.

"How about 'Jacob is the sexiest man alive' ", Jake laughed. I smiled and said, "Yeah, well, there's that and also, thank you, Leah!" I shouted.

Leah came bounding over. "It wasn't all me; the guys helped with the hardware stuff. You should thank Jacob, it was his idea." I turned and threw my arms around Jacob.

"You're the best, Jake! And the sexiest!" He smiled and kissed the top of my head.

"Okay, guys, quiet down!" Leah shouted. "Katie's here now, so I'm going to let her talk to you, then we'll start the movie,"

Movie? What movie? As I was wondering this, Leah tacked a sheet up on the wall and flicked on a projector. Oh! We were watching CATS! I swelled with gratitude towards Leah. Really, she was a gift from the Almighty. She gestured towards me and I stepped to the front of the room.

"Well, in case you don't know who I am, I'm Katie Williams, and I have to put on a production of the Broadway show CATS by the beginning of August. CATS is basically a dance production, so you won't have to sing, just learn a buttload of choreography. I guess what you can do is watch the movie, and tell me later what part you'd be interested in playing. I really need guys to play the male cat parts, so yeah, if you're a guy, I'm begging you, forego your masculinity and help me out. So, um, relax, watch the movie and try to pick a part that you'd like to play. Thanks, y'all," I said, sinking down on to an unoccupied air mattress. Leah smiled at me and flicked off the lights.

I smiled as the familiar movie started. Leah had already agreed to play Bombalurina, so I didn't have to worry about that part. I felt the air mattress sink under me, and Jacob sat down next to me. I felt my breath catch in my throat, and I tried not to let my nervousness show. I'd been in this situation before with guys, but the fluttering feeling didn't really go away. He tucked the blanket around me and twirled a piece of my hair around his fingertip. I sighed and leaned into his shoulder, beyond happy at how the day turned out.

I managed to keep my eyes open until Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, and then I felt myself leaning closer and closer onto Jacob's chest. He noticed me nodding off and pulled me into his lap. I snuggled closer into him, and I felt him rubbing my back in soft circles. Jake kissed the top of my head and I closed my heavy eyelids in sleep.

**A/N: Well, there it is, the fifth chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I can't wait to here your reviews and comments hint hint.**

**Drop me a line, and I'll make sure to reply D**

**-ATS**


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